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By P. M. Sullivan

The principles and application of amalgam electrolysis to the recovery of zinc and tin from secondary products were studied; this Bureau of Mines project was one phase of investigating the development of more efficient methods for processing iron-bearing zinc and tin to produce both base metals of high purity. Zinc of 99-99-percent purity was recovered from galvanizer's dross with recovery efficiency of 98 percent. Tin of 99.9-to 99.99-percent purity was recovered from hardhead with recovery efficiency of 81 percent. Both materials were treated by the same method in separate systems. Mercury was used to leach zinc from dross and tin from hardhead to form amalgams of each metal, both of which were subsequently refined electrolytically to produce high-purity metal. Impurities that were contained in both secondary products behaved as theoretically predicted; impurities that were insoluble in mercury remained as sludge in the leaching column. Except for lead, the readily amalgamated impurities were prevented from fouling the electrolyte by the blocking action of the amalgam electrode. Lead impurity in the tin-refining system dissolved and immediately precipitated as the sulfate. The primary advantage of the amalgam refining method lies in direct recovery of the extremely pure base metal from highly contaminated secondary material.

Jan 1, 1961

By W. B. Paton

Introduction For several reasons the accident history of Flin Flon has been quite unlike that of any other mine in northern Canada, and very much unlike that of the average American metal mine. Towards the end of 1928, the mining project that is now Flin Flon, and that is now in the very: forefront of Canada's big producers was launched; but, metaphorically, it was launched in a tempest of mining troubles. Each branch of the mammoth enterprise was beset with extraordinary difficulties, and the Safety Department had its relative share. Difficulties in Accident Prevention The unusually rugged contour of the plant site made roads, and even moderately safe pathways, out of the immediate question. The project established an industrial outlet for depression-stricken areas which hitherto had been essentially agricultural; but through that outlet poured labour whose working atmosphere had been the bald prairie, labour that knew nothing of safety consciousness, labour that had to be moulded to industrialism, labour in the raw. A considerable length of the ore-body lay under the eastern section of Flin Flon lake. Open-pit methods were adopted to work the upper limits of the ore-body, and consequently the eastern section of the lake had to be dammed and pumped dry. The subsequent difficulties and hazards created by silt deposit cannot be fully visualized. And, finally, there was a geographical hindrance: the ore-body was partly in the Province of Manitoba and partly in the Province of Saskatchewan. The workmen's compensation problem became intricate. Insofar as accident prevention is concerned, Flin Flon's young industrial life may be conveniently divided into three distinct periods, namely: (a) Construction (Nov. 1928-June 1930) (b) Tuning up, and production till the strike (June 1930-June 1934) (c) Production from the strike till the present time At the peak of construction, due to the usual labour fluctuations of big jobs, there was a weekly turnover of about a hundred men. A very large percentage were Central Europeans, most of whom could neither read nor write English. Consequently, an organized safety programme was out of the question.

Jan 1, 1935

By Antonio Nieto

El modelo de innovación que propone este artículo define cinco factores de innovación para la industria minera, basados en cinco condiciones operacionales clave del futuro: (1) lograr una máxima seguridad, (2) simplificar los sistemas, (3) utilizar sistemas inteligentes, (4) diseñar operaciones sigilosas y (5) seguir una estrategia sostenible. Diseñado para ser consistente con cualquier tipo de método o producto minero, el texto se centra en cada uno de estos factores, para trazar un mapa de las posibles tecnologías y métodos que deben desarrollarse hoy en día para lograr la "mina del futuro".

May 30, 2020

By J. Sutton

La geología es la ciencia que estudia las características del suelo. Sin embargo, con el desarrollo del tiempo su estructura educacional y formacional ha ido cambiando. En ese sentido, el presente texto señala los cambios que comprende la enseñanza de esta materia en las universidades de Inglaterra donde el curso de exploración mineral permite un entrenamiento más adelantado y el curso de postgraduados en geología, está relacionado con la aplicación de la geología a asuntos como el estudio de los distintivos geológicos que afectan el diseño de fundación de las principales construcciones y caminos, factores relacionados con la localización, diseño de reservorios y una cantidad de materias referentes con la utilización más efectiva de los recursos naturales. Asímismo, se muestra el por qué de las demandas dentro de las islas británicas y el extranjero.

May 1, 1973

By Jorge Vargas Fernández

El presente texto describe el problema de organización como los factores de carácter político-económico de los recursos humanos en la industria minera. Para ello, se formula un plan de corto, mediano y largo plazo, el cual se basa en una "pirámide humana" que aumenta los efectos económicos y la seguridad del país. Para que esta "Pirámide Humana" acreciente sus beneficios en bien del país, debe operar funcionalmente, a base de un Plan de Acción, que debe ser estudiado y ejecutado por los Gobiernos que se sucedan en la República.

Sep 1, 1983

By Aquiles Figueroa L

Dado que en el altiplano existen yacimientos de estaño que requieren de nuevas tecnologías para una mejor recuperación metalúrgica, se ha diseñado pruebas experimentales de flotación del estaño con los relaves de San Rafael, adecuándola a las necesidades de la mina misma. Para ello, se describen los procesos de concentración de estaño (flotación de sulfuros, concentración de estaño) y las pruebas experimentales respectivas.

Oct 14, 1980

By Donna Wallace

Past EPA groundwater monitoring programs required that contamination not leave the boundaries of a disposal facility. New regulations under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) require that once hazardous waste constituents are detected beyond the limits of the disposal area, a program to define the rate and extent of contaminant migration must be instituted. Future regulations are likely to include even more stringent groundwater protection criteria. The implications of both the existing and probable future groundwater protection and monitoring requirements in terms of using geologic containment as a means of disposing of hazardous waste are explored in this paper.

Jan 1, 1981

By P. E. Cavanagh

Introduction A comprehensive study of the economics of processes for smelting iron ores has been made by the Ontario Research Foundation on behalf of the Ontario Research Commission. This survey has included investigations of all processes in commercial use, and proposed processes which are still in the experimental stage. The two main objects of this work were to discover (l) whether any known processes would be particularly suited to present and future Canadian conditions, and (2) whether any new process would be of assistance in solving the present scrap shortage in Canada. The future prospects of the Canadian iron smelting industry have changed radically in the past ten years. For nearly twenty years before 1939 no iron ore was mined in Canada. The ore used was imported, mainly from the United States and Newfoundland. The economics of iron blast-furnace smelting always force the location of blast furnaces near the source of coal for making high-grade metallurgical coke, and near the market for iron and steel, rather than near the iron ore. Blast-furnace installations in Canada are confined to the north shores of the Great Lakes with ready access to United States coal and ore and the major Canadian markets, and to Nova Scotia near the coalfields of that Province. This distribution of primary smelting capacity naturally results in relatively high prices for iron and steel in the West, the North, and in Quebec.

Jan 1, 1948

By R. W. Culbertson

During the 1920's, approximately 11,000 small gasifiers were in operation in the United States. They converted about 15 million tons of coal per year into low Btu gas. In some cases, hot raw gas was used for applications such as firing open hearth furnaces or brick kilns. In other cases the gases produced in the gasifiers were cooled, cleaned and desulfurized for various utility and industrial purposes. The steel industry was by far the largest user. The most important fact was that the conversion of coal to a usable fuel gas was demonstrated to be commercial. During the late 1940's and early 1950's, this form of energy was largely replaced by natural gas as the pipeline net work was expanded. Producer gas was no longer economically competitive. Over the past twenty-five (25) years, government controls on the interstate price of natural gas have maintained this situation. At present only three commercial small coal gasifier plants are still in operation in the United States. These facilities are operated by the Glen-Gery Corporation which is located in eastern Pennsylvania; the National Lime and Stone Company which is located at Carey Ohio; and Holston Defense Corporation which is located at Kingsport, Tennessee. There are, however, numerous operating gasifiers in other parts of the world. Recent events indicate that this situation is changing. The quantity of domestic natural gas available to the interstate market has been declining at the same time that demand for all forms of energy has been increasing. The current potential market for gas with a heating value ranging from 100 to 500 Btu per cubic feet has been estimated at sixteen (16) quads (16 x 1015 Btu) per year. This is expected to grow to twenty (20) quads by the year 2000.

Jan 1, 1978

By Francisco Sotillo Zevallos

El presente trabajo describe la aplicación de la flotación como método simple de concentración en la recuperación de la plata a través de las cualidades físicas y físico-quimicos superficiales de argento-jarositas. La factiblidad de este método optimiza las técnicas de investigación y explica las dificultades y potencialidades de la recuperación por flotación de las argento-jarositas.

Aug 26, 1988

By Martin A. Elliott

"INTRODUCTION During the recent war the Bureau of Mines was requested to obtain in¬formation on the temperature at which ammonium nitrate mixed with certa: contaminants would react rapidly. This information was desired in connection with an investigation of an explosion that had occurred during the evaporation, by air agitation, of volutions containing ammonium nitrate in which compressor oil that might have passed the filters was suspected of being a contaminant.During the course of this work it was found that mixtures of ammonium nitrate and zinc reacted rapidly at comparatively low temperatures: and since zinc could not positively be eliminated as a contaminant in the explosion in question, a series of tests was carried out, not only with mixtures of ammonium nitrate and compressor oil but also ammonium nitrate and zinc with and without oil. A few experiments were made with metals other than zinc.The investigation was not as extensive as might have been desired, owing to limitations -in time. The results are presented at this time in view of their current interest in connection with the Texas City disaster, in which a large quantity of ammonium nitrate detonated in the holds of two ships."

Mar 1, 1948

By Robert A. Jankowski

The U.S. Bureau of Mines, in cooperation with the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and the mining industry, has identified and demonstrated the effectiveness of several improved face ventilation techniques for longwall mining systems. These include the following: identifying improved techniques for measuring face ventilation parameters on longwall sections, installing curtains at the intake end of the longwall face to maximize usage of the primary airflow, identifying optimum face airflow rates for maximizing dilution effects, and coursing the primary face intake from tailgate to headgate to minimize outby airflow contamination. Application of these techniques throughout the mining industry should reduce the health hazard associated with excessive exposure to respirable coal mine dust.

Jan 1, 1993

By M. R. Rosen

CARBINDER Polymer 498 is a liquid organic taconite binder which significantly improves fired compression in both fluxed and acid pellets. It has been used commercially in both shaft and straight grate furnaces. This new binder produces an unusual wicking phenomenon during balling wherein the rate of movement of interstitial water is accelerated to the surface of the balls. The phenomenon is proposed to be responsible for the significant improvement seen in fired compression. This paper presents information as to the effect of CARBINDER Polymer 498 on green ball and fired pellet properties. It also describes the wicking phenomenon and discusses a reversal in the normal balling operation procedures required for successful agglomeration.

Jan 1, 1988

By D W. Wall, J P. Vagenas

Questions of sampling precision and accuracy affect every process plant in differing ways and to differing extents. To address these perceived issues, chemists, metallurgists and engineers are often asked to check their results to confirm their reliability. However, it is not possible to achieve the level of detail required to check every sample, especially if the event has already occurred. No operation has the resources to frequently sample every point in the process for the purpose of verification.One way to address this scenario is by generating a sufficiently detailed comparative data set from a dynamic mass balance simulation of the processing plant. This mass balance uses both sample and plant instrument data to model every flow, while also taking inventory changes and process chemistry into account.The mass balance data can be used to identify any bias present in plant sampling and analysis. It can also be used to verify any unexpected assay results by taking a holistic view of the process. Improving the precision and accuracy of sampling data helps support operational decision-?making and understanding. It also improves the accuracy of the dynamic mass balance used in this process, facilitating further improvements.CITATION:Vagenas, J P and Wall, D W, 2017. The benefits of automated metallurgical accounting for plant sampling, in Proceedings Eighth World Conference on Sampling and Blending , pp 203–210 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

May 9, 2017

Continuous improvement in environmental management assists in the achievement of sustainability goals for the mining and processing of minerals. The use of regular internal environmental audits (scored or unscored) which form an integral component of an Environmental Management System (EMS), provide demonstrable evidence of this improvement. The audits described in this paper involve working with site personnel to develop and implement major improvement projects, providing advice on how to improve environmental practices and facilities, and disseminating innovative ideas and practices across the site and to other operations within the same group. Essentially the lead auditor assumes the role of a æskills coachÆ as opposed to a æpolicemanÆ, which is quite often the case for many audits. The audit process has been developed from involvement with a number of major coal mines in the Hunter Valley, where regular internal environmental audits have been undertaken every two to three months, over periods varying from 18 months to five years and more recently, with a metalliferous mine in the Northern Territory. Examples of the benefits of improved environmental performance (driven by the audit process) to sustainable development are provided. The auditing process as described is applicable to metalliferous mines, the processing of mineral ores, coal mines, coal handling and preparation plants, quarries, and oil and gas projects.

Jan 1, 2004

By Todd M. Ruff

Researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) are studying methods to prevent workers from being entangled in machinery used at mining operations. An analysis of mining accidents in the United States that resulted in a fatality or permanent disability from 2000 through 2005 showed 438 severe incidents that involved contact with machinery or equipment, an average of 73 per year. Researchers determined that the most common machinery involved in these severe accidents was conveyors. Also, a significant portion of the accidents occurred during machine maintenance and repair. Researchers are focusing on improved methods to prevent unintentional machine startup during maintenance activity and methods to detect workers near moving machine components. One new technology that shows promise for this application is intelligent video. Popular in the surveillance and security industries, these systems use cameras and computerized video analysis techniques to automatically detect the presence of people in preset zones within the camera?s field of view. A preliminary study has been initiated to determine if this technology could reliably detect the presence of workers in hazardous locations near machinery. Possible advantages of the use of this technology include improved detection zone demarcation and improved ability to distinguish between hazardous and non-hazardous proximity, compared to conventional proximity sensor techniques. Initial tests to detect a person near a conveyor system in daylight conditions showed promising results. A description of the technology, test procedures and results, implementation challenges, and future research needs are discussed.

Jan 1, 2008

Recent U.S. mine disasters identified a need for improved training of miners in escape from mine fires and explosions. Researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health?s (NIOSH) Spokane Research Laboratory (SRL) have designed fire-escape training software for use in a mine-safety training course. The software allows four trainees to work together in a virtual world via a computer network. Trainees responded favorably and showed a marked improvement in locating the proper evacuation routes on subsequent trials. In collaboration with the Pittsburgh Research Laboratory (PRL), a more elaborate fire evacuation scenario is being developed. Further study is needed to confirm that virtual training will translate to improved safety outcomes in the real world. Keywords: virtual reality (VR), safety, training, mining, mine fire evacuation

Jan 1, 2009

By Thomas M. Barczak

This Bureau of Mines report investigates shield mechanics by describing the elastic response and interaction of shield components to applied vertical and horizontal displacements for various canopy and base contact configurations. This research provides information on generalized shield mechanics, which is applicable in describing the behavior of all two-leg shield supports. Utilizing mechanics of materials concepts and known kinematic relationships for two-leg shield supports, free-body diagrams are constructed for each shield component illustrating internal axial, shear, and bending moment responses required to maintain equilibrium for each load case evaluated. Predicted shield (component) responses are verified by controlled displacement of instrumented longwall shields in the Bureau's mine roof simulator (MRS). Conclusions drawn from these analyses include shield structural responses are significantly dependent upon canopy and base contact configurations. Applied displacements also significantly affect shield responses. Horizontal displacement produces different responses than those produced by vertical displacements. The direction of horizontal displacement is also significant in evaluating shield response. Applications of shield mechanics to in situ support monitoring are also discussed. An objective of this research program is to establish unique shield responses to identify in situ load conditions.

Jan 1, 1989

By L. K. Smith, C. R. May, K. R. Schrag, H. Buchwald

"New contracts for 65 million long tons of coking coal valued at over $900 million, over the next 15 years, herald the rebirth of Alberta's coal industry. The industry is optimistic that export orders may reach 20 million tons per annum by the mid-1970's. Coal will be extracted from underground and surface mines and it is expected that the total labour force will double from the present 1,200 men within the next two years. Ali the health hazards associated with coal mining are likely to be encountered and it will be incombent on the Provincial Department of Health to specify the standards which relate to health and environment where no such standards have previously existed. This paper examines some of the problems which are being encountered in setting up an environmental health program and reviews the practicability of environmental monitoring methods, with special reference to respirable dust."

Jan 1, 1969

By John A. L. Campbell

Surface dependent processes, such as froth flotation and flocculation, are important or potentially important techniques for combating some of the current major problems in coal preparation. In order to correctly apply or imporve a surface dependent process, it is of paramount importance to understand the interfacial phenomenon, especially the double layer properties, exhibited by the solid. The specific objective of this research was to determine the properties of the bituminous coal/liquid interface by an electrokinetic method, streaming potential, and to relate the findings, wherever possible, to the existing unit operations of froth flotation and flocculation. The electrokinetic properties of both the whole coal and its lithotypes were investigated. As part of the total investigation, the role played in the double layer by the reagents commonly employed in the surface dependent process was also established (1). These data will be presented at a latter date.

Jan 1, 1969